Headteacher's Summer Update - Thursday 27th July 2026

Dear Parents and Carers

I hope this letter finds you and your families well.  I hope you have enjoyed a restful summer and managed to spend some precious time together. With the start of another school year fast approaching, there are a number of updates and reminders I wanted to share before we welcome our students back to Kelmscott.

On Thursday 20th August, our Year 11 students collected their GCSE results.  It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces as students secured the grades they needed to progress onto their chosen post-16 pathways. Those who worked consistently hard, attended school regularly and took full advantage of the many opportunities and support available to them rightly reaped the rewards of their efforts.

As a school, our overall results were below those we have achieved in recent years but were very cohort specific.  We will reflect carefully on this though and, as always, there is important work for us to do.  At the same time, examination results tell only part of the story of a year group.  We are incredibly proud of the young people our Year 11 students have become and of the resilience and character so many demonstrated during their five years with us.

We wish every one of them well for the next stage of their journey and look forward to hearing about their future successes.  Once Kelmscott, always Kelmscott.

We were also delighted this summer to hear from three former Kelmscott students from the Class of 2024 – Delphi Bembridge, Rosa Grant and Isabella Ryan – who received their A-level results and have each secured a place at Cambridge University.  Delphi will study Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, Rosa Classics, and Isabella English Literature.  Their achievements are a wonderful reminder of the remarkable range of young people we have at Kelmscott, with different talents, interests and ambitions, and of just how far their journeys can take them.  We are immensely proud of them and look forward to following the next chapter of their stories.

Our motto for the year ahead is:  “No one belongs here more than you.”

The words are inspired by the work of Brené Brown and The Gifts of Imperfection, and they capture something very important to us.  Kelmscott is an extraordinarily diverse school and we are proud that young people can be themselves here. We want every child, whatever their background, interests, identity or starting point, to find their place and genuinely feel that they belong.

Belonging does not happen simply because we say it does, though.  I would love families to talk to their children about this.  What would help your child feel an even greater sense of belonging at Kelmscott? Is it a club we do not currently offer? A trip or visit? An opportunity to represent the school? Something completely different?  Please do tell us.

Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We want students not simply to celebrate differences but to learn from one another's experiences and perspectives.  I hope our motto speaks to your child this year.

Our priorities for 2026/27 - Our School Development Plan will have two particularly significant areas of focus this year:

1. Continuing to improve teaching and learning, with the ambition that every child experiences outstanding lessons as a matter of routine.

2. Exploring what excellent curriculum design looks like, ahead of a wider review and development of our curriculum over the coming years.

   
   

These are deliberately ambitious priorities. Our students deserve nothing less.

Our lofty attendance goal remains 98%. Across a 190-day school year, 98% attendance means missing fewer than four days of school.  Holidays are not included within those 190 days – these are the days when students are expected to be in school.  Every day matters.  Please continue to make medical and dental appointments outside school hours wherever possible and avoid any unnecessary absence.

Punctuality matters too. Students should leave home in plenty of time to arrive at school by 8.30am at the latest, ready for a prompt 8.40am start.  Students living within two miles are strongly encouraged to walk to school. As well as the obvious health benefits, a walk in the morning is a positive way to begin the school day.

It is fantastic that so many of our students embrace Waltham Forest's commitment to active travel and cycle to school.  We want to encourage this while making sure students do so safely.  This year we will introduce a Kelmscott cycling licence.  Students wishing to cycle to school will have their bicycle checked to ensure that it is roadworthy and safe.  A helmet must also be worn. We will share further details with students and families in September.

Travelling to and from school - Kelmscott is located on a busy commuter route, so we encourage families and students to check live travel updates each morning and allow sufficient time for any delays.  Students should also remain aware of their surroundings when travelling to and from school and take particular care when using mobile phones or other valuable items in public. 

New uniform items are being introduced for new Year 7 students only this September.  The changes are deliberately modest: a cleaner Kelmscott logo on the blazer and a new navy PE kit. The mandatory new items are the blazer, navy quarter-zip PE top and PE tracksuit bottoms.

For the next few years we will naturally have a mixture of old and new uniform across the school, and that is absolutely fine.  We also remain very happy for new Year 7 students to wear good-quality hand-me-down uniform from older siblings.  There is no expectation that families replace perfectly serviceable uniform unnecessarily.

A few reminders for all year groups:

• Coats should be plain navy or black.

• School shoes should be smart black leather shoes – not trainer-style footwear.

• Baseball caps, beanies and other hats should be plain navy or black and must not be worn inside the buildings, except where an agreed exception applies.

• Trousers must fit properly and be worn at the waist. A belt is strongly recommended where necessary; underwear should never be visible.

• Skirts must be worn at the correct length and should not be rolled up.

• Jewellery expectations remain as set out in the student planner.

• Acrylic or long nails are not permitted, as these prevent safe and full participation in PE, Technology and other practical subjects.

• False eyelashes, including eyelash extensions, are not permitted, in keeping with our expectations for a smart and appropriate school appearance. 

  
  

To support disruption-free learning, students are expected to arrive at school each day fully equipped. This includes a black pen, red pen, pencil, ruler, journal and lanyard/ID; equipment checks take place each morning.  As we do not use bells at Kelmscott, students are responsible for arriving at lessons on time and are encouraged to wear a simple watch.  Please note that smart watches are not permitted, in line with our expectations regarding mobile phones and other smart devices outlined elsewhere in this letter. 

Healthy choices - We will be placing a greater emphasis on healthy eating this year.  Energy drinks remain banned at Kelmscott.  There is increasing national focus on restricting children's access to high-caffeine energy drinks, and our position as a school is very clear: they have no place in school.

Students should bring a refillable water bottle to school each day to help them stay hydrated throughout the school day. 

We are also increasingly seeing students arrive with jumbo bags of crisps, large multipacks of doughnuts or substantial quantities of sweets, sometimes having chosen to spend their lunch money on these instead of a meal.  I understand some of the attraction – these foods can appear cheap and convenient – but that comes at a cost to children's health, concentration and wellbeing.

From September, large bags of crisps, large quantities of sweets and multipacks of doughnuts or similar products will therefore not be permitted in school.  This is not about policing the occasional treat; it is about encouraging sensible, healthy choices.

Our Pantry offers a nutritious, well-balanced school meal for £2.75, a price which remains unchanged this year. Alternatively, a healthy packed lunch is an excellent option.

Free School Meals – If your family receives Universal Credit, your child may now be entitled to Free School Meals following an expansion of the eligibility criteria from September 2026.  We strongly encourage families to ensure their eligibility is checked, even if you have not qualified previously.  Eligibility will be checked annually, so please do not assume that a previous application or check will automatically carry forward (you have to reapply every year). Apply for free school meals - Waltham Forest. 

Privately owned electric scooters remain illegal for use on public roads and are unsafe; they must not be used to travel to school.  Locally, there was also a serious accident recently involving a pedestrian and someone cycling an e-bike; these are also not appropriate for school aged children to ride to school.

A reminder that the car park adjacent to Kelmscott School belongs to the Leisure Centre and is monitored by ANPR.  If you choose to park there, please ensure that you pay and display or display a valid Blue Badge to avoid receiving a parking charge. 

Our expectations around mobile phones remain unchanged: phones should be unseen and unheard during the school day.

Last year we surveyed students in Years 7–9 about smartphones, social media and their experiences online.  Their responses were fascinating and have given us much to consider.  We will continue this work with students and families during the year ahead.  This is also a rapidly changing national picture. The Government has announced plans to restrict social-media platforms from providing services to under-16s, with the new protections expected to take effect in spring 2027.  We will keep families updated as the detail and implications become clearer.

Behaviour, safety and safeguarding - Our expectations remain extremely high both inside and outside school.  As Ofsted recognised in 2025, “Students are rightly proud of their school.” We expect their behaviour on the journey to and from school to demonstrate that pride.

With the increasing prevalence of Ring doorbells and other home CCTV, we are regularly sent footage by members of our local community when they witness anti-social behaviour.  Thankfully, it is rarely our students. We want to keep it that way.

As always, safeguarding remains my number one priority. Two expectations could not be clearer:

1. Possession of a weapon, either on the school site or on the journey to or from school, is likely to result in permanent exclusion.

2. Possession of drugs, either on the school site or on the journey to or from school, is also likely to result in permanent exclusion.

   
   

Students should also be reminded that face masks, snoods or other facial coverings are not permitted in school or on the journey to and from school.  They give the wrong impression of our wonderful students, who are overwhelmingly polite and kind.  It is important that they are seen for who they are. Please discuss this at home if your child is one of the small number currently choosing to wear them.  Please reinforce these messages at home.

Working together - Our partnership with families is central to Kelmscott's success.  We will continue to use EduLink as our single communication app, so please ensure that you have downloaded it and are engaging with the information sent through it.  Please also ensure you are logged into the correct version of EduLink, your name should appear at the top right of the screen when you log in, not your child’s name.  If you need any support with the app please get in contact with us so that we can resolve any issues for you.

I would also ask that our interactions with one another continue to be characterised by kindness and mutual respect.  We will not always get everything right.  When we make a mistake, we will hold our hands up, listen and work to put it right.

Equally, schools are busy, human places and sometimes misunderstandings happen. Most difficulties can be resolved quickly through a conversation – and sometimes by simply coming in, sitting down over a cup of tea and talking an issue through.  We are on the same side.  We all want your child to be happy, safe and successful, and that partnership matters enormously.

Congratulations to our Rewards Points champions for the 2025/26 academic year:

• Malcolm Gibbons (now Year 8) – 602 points

• Ylva Finn (now Year 9) – 503 points

• Filip Ionescu (now Year 10) – 547 points

• Jude Cambridge Brown (now Year 11) – 717 points

Well done to all four students. Their consistency, contribution and commitment are an inspiration to us all.

A reminder of our arrangements for the start of the new academic year:

Year 7 – Wednesday 2nd SeptemberYear 7 students begin their Kelmscott journey on Wednesday 2nd September. Students should arrive at 10.30am, ready for a prompt 11.00am assembly.

Years 8–11 – Thursday 3rd SeptemberStudents in Years 8–11 return on Thursday 3rd September and should arrive by 8.40am at the very latest.

Entrance arrangements:

Years 8, 9 and 10 – please enter through the blue gate

Year 7 and 11 – please enter through the front gate/reception

A couple of dates for your diary:

Thursday 24th September 2026 – Students will have a later start of 10.40am, following Open Evening the previous evening.

Our half-term break has once again been extended following the disaggregation of two INSET days.  Students will therefore return to school on Wednesday 4th November – something for us all to look forward to.

I am very much looking forward to welcoming our students back and beginning another exciting year together. There is much to look forward to and much we want to achieve.  I know that, working together, we will ensure Kelmscott continues to thrive as a school of which our students, families and wider community are immensely proud.

No one belongs here more than you.

With every good wish for a happy, healthy and successful 26/27.

Mr Sam Jones 

Headteacher